Self-loading takedown firearm



Dec. 19, 1944. Q sw a ius 2,365,306

SELF-LOADING TAKEDOWN FIREARM Filed Oct. 31 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 19, 1944. Q $wEB|L|U$ I 2,365,306

SELF-LOADING TAKEDOWN FIREARM 1944. c. s. SWEBILIUS SELF-LOADING TAKEDQWN FIREARM Filed Oct. 31, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 hue/22 0f 19! array;

Patented Dec. 19, 1944 SELF-LOADING TAKEDOWN FIREARM Carl G. Swebilius, Hamden, Conn., assignor to The High Standard Manufacturing Corporation, New Haven, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Original application October 15, 1940, Serial No. 361,208. Divided and this application October 31, 1941, Serial No. 417,249

1 Claim.

This application constitutes a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 361,208, filed October 15, 1940, now patent No. 2,342,824, dated Feb. 29, 1944.

The present invention relates to improvements in takedown self-loading repeating firearms, that is to say, takedown firearms of the type wherein the forces developed by the discharge of a given cartridge are utilized to operate the firearm and effectthe extraction and ejection of the justfired cartridge and the insertion of a fresh cartridge, preparatory to another cycle of operation.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior self-loading takedown repeating firearm wherein the parts are organized together so that they may be readily taken down for convenience in transportation but in which provision is made for securely coupling the parts when the same are assembled.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a superior self-loading takedown firearm construction wherein releasable-means is employed for holding the separable units of the Ma arm together and wherein the releasable-means is of such character that wear developed as the result of long periods of use is amply compensated for.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a superior firearm of the character referred to in which the coupling-means for retaining the separable units of the firearm in assembled relationship are of such rugged character as to efiectively withstand long continued periods of use.

With the above and other objects in ,view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art andwhich are not claimed in any separate application.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a self-loading takedown repeating firearm embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the central portion of the firearm shown mainly in vertical central-longitudinal section and partly in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a 'view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the upper receiver-member and the lower receiver-member in partly-separated relative positions;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the upper receiver-unit detached, together with a portion of the barrel;

Fig. 8 is an underside view of the structure of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 10 is a view mainly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of the lower receivermember, together with a fragment of the buttstock;

Fig. 11 is a top or plan view of the structure of Fig. 10; i

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the pivotal latching-lever detached; and

Fig. 13 is a similar view of the latch-releasing lever detached,

The particular self-loading take-down repeating firearm herein chosen for purposes of illustrating the present invention comprises in the main a buttstock IS, a two-part receiver generally designated by the reference character IS, a barrel l1, and a fore-end grip l8,

The receiver l6 above referred to includes an upper receiver-member l9 and a lower receivermember 20 which are normally firmly and rigidly coupled together but which, as will hereinafter appear, are readily separable one from the other. The said lower receiver-member 20 is rigidly attached at its rear end to the forward end of the buttstock [5 by means of a bolt 2| shown in Fig.

8 1. The upper receiver-member I9 is generall of cylindrical form exteriorly and has threaded into its extreme forward end the rear end of the barrel H, to which latter in turn is secured the foreend grip Ill. The upper receiver-member l9, together with the barrel I1 and fore-end grip l8. constitutes a unit demountable from and assemblable with a buttstock-unit which is composed, in the main, of the lower receiver-member 20 and the buttstock [5.

At about substantially midway of its length, the upper receiver-member I9 is provided with a rigid depending coupling-lug 22 which at its rear portion is of inverted T-shaped form in cross section, as is especially well shown in Fig. 9. The said coupling-lug is provided on each of its respective opposite sides with one of two oppositely-projecting coupling-ribs 23-23, the upper faces of which constitute upwardly-facing coup ing-abutments, for purposes as will hereinafter appear. The coupling-ribs 23-23 just referred to are respectively adapted to enter couplinggrooves 24-24 formed in the respective opposite side-wa1ls 25 and 26 of a longitudinally-extending and upwardly-opening mechanism-receiving chamber 21' in the lower receiver-member 28. The respective upper walls of, the couplinggrooves 24-24 constitute, in efiect, downwardlyfacing coupling-abutments engageable respec tively by the upper faces of the coupling-ribs 23-23 of the upper receivermember l9, in a manner as will be more fully hereinafter de-crib-ed.

Each of the coupling-grooves 24-24 injthe lower receiver-member is connected at its front to the upper edge of the lower receivermember 20 by means of one-of two-similarverticalclearance-passages 28-28, One of which'is' formed in each of the side-walls and 26 and" which are sufiiciently wide in a direction lengthgrooves 24-24 therein, as particularly well shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

The upper receiver-member l9, as before noted, is generally speaking of tubular form and is provided with a substantiall'y-cylindrical interior mechanism-receiving chamber 29 in its rear por-' tion, which mechanism-receiving chamber substantially corresponds to the external diameter of a locating-ring 30. The saidlocating-ring 30 is formedinte'gral with and forwardly projects from abreech-lug 3|- formed integral with and upstanding from the rear portion of the lower receiver-member 20, as is especially well shown in Fig. 10. Surrounding the integral Ilocatingring 33 is a'forwardly-fa'cing seat '32 against which the rear edge of the upper receiver-member 19 is normally seated. I

For. the purpose of releasably. retaining the upper receiver-member |.9iin assembled. relationship with respect to the lower receiver-member 20, a latching-lever 33 is'iem'ployed which is normally upwardly and rearwardly inclined, as particularly well. shown in. Fig 2. The rearface of the said latching-lever 33 has camming engagement with. an inclined forwardly-facing locking-abutment 34 formed on. the coupling-lug 22 of .the upperrreceiver-member'lEl. The said latching-lever 33,. acting". through the lockingabutment 34 of the .upper'receiver-member 19, serves to maintain thecoupling-ribs 23-23 in the coupling-grooves 24-24 and also tomaintain the rear edge of-the upper receiver-member IS in seated engagement with the annular forwardly-facingseatflz on-thebreech-lug 3| of the lower receiver-member 20.

The latching-lever33 above referred to is provided adjacent'its forwardend on one side face with two aligned coupling-grooves 35-35 (Fig. 12) extending radially .withr'espect to a transverse passage 38.10cated the forward portion of the latching-lever 33 andof cylindrical form. The said latching-lever 33 is locatedin the forward portion of the mechanism-receiving chamber 21.. in the lower receiver-member and is of a width. substantially corresponding to thewidth of the adjacent portion .of thesaid chamber,

The coupling-grooves 35-35 in the latchinglever 33respectivelyreceive one of a pair of coupling-lugs 31-31. projecting inwardly from the inner face of a latch-releasing lever 38, as is especially well shown in Fig. 13. The coupling-. lugs 31-31 are located on the inner face of the ber 21 oflthe lower receiver-member 20.

latch-releasing lever 38 in longitudinal alignment on the respective opposite sides of a threaded passage 39 formed in the said lever 38 and adapted to register with the passage 36 in the latching-lever 33. p I

For the-purpose of holding-the latching-lever 33 and the latch-releasing lever 38 against axial lateral separation, a coupling-screw 4|] (Fig. 4) is employed which has its shank first extended through the passage 36 in the latching-lever 33,

then into threaded engagement with the threaded passage 39 in the latch-releasing lever 38. The head-portion of; the coupling-screw 40 bears in a cylindrically contoured opening 4| in the side wall 25 of the mechanism-receiving cham- Save "for its offsetting finger-piece 42, the latchreleasing lever 38 is of cylindrical form and is mounted-with capacity for turning movement in an opening 43 formed in the complemental side wall 25 of the mechanism-receiving chamber 21 of the lower receiver-member 20'.

Substantially midway of. its length, the latching-lever 33 is formed with a downwardly-opening spring-pocket 44 receiving the upperend of a helical latch-spring 45 which acts'to engage the rear end of the said latching-dever 33" with the latching-abutment .34, before referred to. The lower end of the latch -spring 4511s seated in an upwardly-opening spring-pocket. formed in the lower receiver-member 2|] in the'bottom of the mechanism-receiving chamber 21' therein.

Reciprocating in. the mechanism-receiving chamber 29 of theupper receiver-member I9 is a cylindrically-contouredbreech-bolt 41 formed with'an integral coaxial and forwardly-projecting breech-closing stem '48. The said breechclosing stem 48 is cylindricallycontoured and: is adapted to be entered into-and retired from a longitudinal passage 49 formedinthe forward portion of the upper receiver-member l9.

At its rear end,-'the: said passage-49- opens into the mechanism-receiving. chamber '29 and atzits forward end communicates with-therear end of a cartridge-chamber50 formed-inthe rear end of the barrel I1. Leading upwardly and outwardly from the passage 49 which receives the breech-closing stem -48, is an. ejection-opening 5|, as is shown especially well-in. Figs. 1 and '7.

Extending downwardly from the'said passage 49- is a vertical magazine-receiving passage 52- which normally, receives the upper end .of a box-magazine 53 which may be of any convenient or usual construction and not requiring detailed description herein other than to point outthat it is normally engaged with the forward portion of an integral lug 54. depending from the forward portion of the lowerv receiveremember 20.

The breech-bolt 41 above referred to is urged forwardly into its breech-closing position by I means of a helical'breech-closing spring 55 .611-

circling a plunger56 which is provided at its rear end with a h'eadf51. .Therearend of the breechclosing spring 55.seats.against the. forward face of the head 51 of the plungeriifi, which. head is seated in a'forwardly-opening pocket, 58 formed in the front face of. the upstanding breech-lug-3I ofthe lower receiveremember 20..

Any suitable firing mechanism may .be employed for the firearm and such firing mechanism does not require detailed. description herein.

Toseparate the. upper. receiver-member. l9 and the parts carried thereby from the lowerireceivermember 20 and the parts carried thereby, the magazine 53 is first removed and the finger-piece 42 of the latch-releasing lever 38 should be depressed to thereby correspondingly depress the rear end of the latching-lever 33 to thus shift the said latching-lever from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2 into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. By the movement just referred to, the rear end or face of the latchinglever 33 is disengaged from the latching-abutment 34 of the coupling-lug 22 of the upper receiver-member I9.

When the latching-lever is depressed as above described, the upper receiver-member I9 and the parts organized therewith may be moved forwardly relative to the lower receiver-member 20 and the parts organized with the latter, until the rear portion of the upper receiver-member I9 is free of the locating-ring 30 and the couplingribs 23-23 are forwardlyretired out of the can pling-grooves 24-24 and brought into registry with the vertical clearance-passages 2828. The upper receiver-member I9 together with the parts organized therewith (including the breech-bolt 4'!) may be now lifted upwardly clear of the lower receiver-member 20, as indicated in Fig. 3. The upper receiver-member I9 together with the barrel I! and other parts organized with the said upper member, may be completely removed from the lower receiver-member 20.

When the upper receiver-member I9 is reinstalled upon t e lower receiver-member 20, the latching-lever 33 will again swing up into the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2 to thereby engage "its rear face with the forwardly-facing latching-abutment 34 of the coupling-lug 22 of the upper receiver-member I9. Owing to the inclination of both the rear face of th latchinglever 33 and the latching-abutment 34, the interengagement of the said features will exert a slight camming action to firmly seat the rear end of the upper receiver-member I9 against the seat Y 32 of the lower receiver-member 20.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodi- I ments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

A self-loading repeating firearm including in combination: a lower receiver-member having at its rear an upstanding breech-lug and formed forwardly of the said breech-lug with an upwardly-opening recess between its respective opposite side walls and provided in each of the said side walls with one of two longitudinally-extending downwardly-facing coupling-abutments and with one of two vertical clearance-passages located forwardly of and intersecting both the adjacent one Ofthe saidcoupling-abutments and the upper edge of the side wall of the said recess; an upper receiver-member having a depending coupling-lug downwardly entering the recess in the said lower receiver-member and provided on each of its respective opposite sides with one of two longitudinally-extending coupling-ribs also extending laterally from the coupling-lug and sufliciently short to enter one of the vertical clearance-passages in the said lower receivermember, each of the said coupling-ribs having its upper face engageable with the adjacent one of the downwardly-facing longitudinally-extending coupling-abutments in the adjacent side wall of the said lower receiver-member by a relative rearward longitudinal movement of the said upper receiver-member; and 'a manually-releasable pivotal latching-lever pivoted in the upwardly-opening recess in the said lower receiver-member about an axis extending crosswise thereof and having a rearwardly-extending camming portion engaging directly with the depending couplinglug of the said upper receiver-member to positively force the same rearwardly to hold in engagement the coupling-ribs of the upper receivermember and the coupling-abutments of the lower receiver-member.

CARL G. SWEBILIUS. 

